A stock screener query is your search criteria — the parameters you search by when screening for stocks. Queries take the firehose of information you get from thousands of stocks and filter them down to a manageable handful of stocks you can watch.
Deciding on the right stock screener queries is the first step to becoming a self-sufficient trader!
You can’t possibly watch hundreds or thousands of stocks at a time… That’s why queries and search criteria are essential.
What are the best stock screener queries and how do you use them? Let’s dive in!
What Is a Stock Screener Query?
A stock screener query is how you search for stocks with a screener platform. First, you input a set of criteria. The screener then returns stocks that match them. The more criteria you add, the more specific your search results become.
There are many queries or criteria you can use. Some of them include market capitalization, EPS, price, volume, and more.
Importance of Query in Stock Screener
Stock screener queries are essential because it’s the main way to use a screener platform. You plug in the parameters, and the screener finds securities that match what you’re looking for. Once you’ve narrowed the stocks down, you can do further analysis and research to find out whether they’re worth trading.
Different traders typically use different parameters to find watch-worthy stocks. For example, you might be more concerned with a stock’s volume, while another trader might be looking for its percent gain.
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How to Use Query in Stock Screener
You use queries or search criteria in a stock screener by putting the parameters in the platform. You can mix and match parameters to create custom filters and setups that cater to the way you trade.
Here’s an example setup from one of my regular scans, the top percent gainer scan:
In my top percent gainer scan, I look for stocks priced between $0.25 and $20, trading more than 100,000 on the day, which are up more than 5% on the day.
Different scanners work best for different trading strategies. Check out my top stock screeners for day trading and stock screeners for swing trading picks. I also have a list of the best overall stock screeners available today.
What Are the Best Stock Screener Queries?
There are a lot of stock screener queries, so there’s no set of “best stock screener queries” for everyone. Take the criteria available on StocksToTrade, for example. It’s got dozens of stock criteria that are all completely configurable. That means millions of combinations. You can’t realistically try them all.
I recommend StocksToTrade for both new and experienced traders — it has built-in stock screener filters designed by top traders, and it lets you make your own. It also has real-time data updates to help you stay on top of the market.
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But what you can do is pick the queries that work for you. How do you find them? Experience. Use different queries and find the ones that you’re most comfortable with and master them.
I’ll help you get started. Here are some stock screener criteria I frequently use on my swing trading and day trading worksheets. They’ll help you narrow down all the options and find viable stocks for trades.
Let’s get into it!
Price
Price is one of the most basic stock screener criteria. You can combine it with other criteria to refine your screens — like my top percent gainer scan. It scans for price, trading volume, and percent gain.
Volume
The market is a game of supply and demand, and volume is how you measure demand.
When looking for stocks to day trade, you want to see unusual trading volume. My definition of unusual volume is significantly higher than the stock’s recent average. If you’re seeing hundreds or even thousands of times the average volume, then you’re looking at a high-demand stock.
Percent Gain
I’m looking for percent gains of more than 10% on the day. I want to know that a stock’s volume is affecting its price action.
Float
If volume measures demand, the float measures supply. Float is the number of shares that are publicly tradable.
When day trading, you want to find low-float stocks. We usually define that as less than 10 million freely tradable shares. The fewer shares available, the more likely the stock will react to demand with big price moves.
52 Week High
Identifying support and resistance levels will tell you where price action might hit some friction. If a stock is at or above 52-week highs it’s on the way to breaking through resistance. You know that’s a resistance level because the stock couldn’t break above it on its last try!
A 52-week high is a trade signal. If it crosses that threshold, there’s a good sign it can breakout.
Earnings
Companies usually release their earnings statements four times a year — after every quarter. This can be a bullish or bearish trade signal, depending on pre-earnings expectations and how the market received the earnings statement.
Sector
Another thing to look for is the company’s sector. I have years of experience watching the markets, so I have an easier time spotting hot sectors.
But what if you don’t have decades of experience? Find what matters to traders now. Check the stocks that run, see what’s happening in the world, and identify the sectors that are moving.
Final Thoughts
Stock screener queries are how you search for stocks with a screener…
You put in the criteria, and the screener returns stocks that are a match. This helps you sort through thousands of stocks and filter them down to a manageable few that you can realistically monitor.
You can mix and match search criteria in your stock screening tools to make custom filters and setups that fit the way you trade. Many screeners also come with editable pre-built filters.
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Best Stock Screener Queries FAQs
What Are Essential Filters for Screening Liquid and Profitable Stocks?
When using stock screeners like Ticker stock screener, filters such as the quick ratio and debt to equity are crucial to identify liquid and profitable stocks. Investors should also consider the return on equity and cash flow to gauge a company’s profitability. Screening stocks effectively requires setting specific search queries that focus on these financial metrics to ensure the stocks chosen are viable for investment.
How Can Investors Use Screeners to Find Growth and Penny Stocks?
To find growth and penny stocks, investors should utilize screeners with filters designed to isolate these types of stocks based on criteria like sales growth, current price, and market capitalization. A targeted stock query should include parameters that differentiate between large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap companies, especially for growth stocks which often fall into the mid to small-cap categories. Penny stocks can be further filtered by setting a fixed market capitalization range to narrow down the search.
What Is the Best Way to Analyze Market Capitalization Using Screeners?
Analyzing market capitalization using screeners involves setting up filters to distinguish between small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap companies based on their market cap filter. Investors should use a market capitalization ratio to understand the size and stability of companies. A comprehensive search query in a ticker stock screener can help investors compile a list of companies that meet their specific capitalization criteria, aiding in more refined investment decisions.
How Do Screeners Help in Creating a Diverse Investment Portfolio?
Screeners help investors create a diverse investment portfolio by allowing them to compile a comprehensive list of stocks and companies from various sectors and market caps. By using a database of companies, investors can apply filters for growth company, debt-free companies, and promoter rich companies to diversify their holdings. Additionally, selecting from a mix of small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap companies ensures coverage across different market sectors and risk levels.